THE
LIVING DAYLIGHTS

Timothy Dalton makes his debut as James Bond in a solid, if
unremarkable, entry in the Bond series. Set during the waning
days of the Cold War, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS finds Bond in one more
go-round with the Russians -- although in this film it's often
difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys, and the
double-agents from the double-double agents. The pace of the
film
sometimes has trouble keeping up with the complex plot, but the
storyline offers some nifty little twists and surprises.
There
are also two heart-stopping action sequences: the first involving the
use of a cello case as a getaway toboggan; the other occurring at the
film's climax, in which Bond and the bad guys slug it out thousands of
feet above the ground while hanging onto the netting of a cargo
plane. One of the film's main strengths is Dalton himself,
the
most underrated of all the Bonds. The two Dalton/Bond films
performed poorly at the box office (by Bond-film standards, that is),
perhaps because audiences weren't ready for a tough-and-gritty 007
following so many years of Roger Moore's camp silliness. Such
circumstances didn't help Dalton's reputation, but, in retrospect, his
portrayal of Bond is now regarded
by many as second only to Sean Connery's, and the closest to Ian
Fleming's conception of Bond. The brief Dalton era was also
the
last gasp of Bond adventures set in an environment roughly resembling
the real world, before succumbing to the hoary excess of the Pierce
Brosnan films. ½ - JL

Moore, Connery and Brosnan
looked better in a
tuxedo. Moore and Connery could toss off quips
better.
Connery and Brosnan could seduce women more convincingly.
What
Dalton had, in spades, was toughness, a hard-edged, no-nonsense quality
that rivaled Sean Connery's. Businesswise, Dalton probably
wasn't
the best choice actor for the part - audience apathy for the actor
almost killed the series - but I thought his two films were the best by far since
since ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. There is some leftover and ill-fitting slapstick himor left over from
the previous incarnation of Bond, but I still applaud the Bond
people
for attempting to bring back the real 007 after the Roger Moore years
had turned the world's most famous spy into Snub Pollard with a license
to prance. On a personal note, she may not be voluptuous, but
Maryam D'Abo is cute as hell, and one of my favorite Bond girls. ½ - JB

"That's too bad, Bond. You could've been a live rich man,
instead of a poor dead one."

GOGOL+ (or: GOTELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN) (or: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GOGOL)

Walter Gotell first appeared in the James Bond franchise in From Russia With Love, where he played one of Rosa Klebb's henchmen. More than a decade later, he returned to the series in The Spy Who Loved Me,
playing General Gogol, head of the KGB, and reprised the character in
the next five films. General Gogol was often more of a friendly
adversary than a full blown villain, and Gotell played him with just
the right touch of offhand, relaxed humor. He has appeared in
many other films, including The African Queen (1951) and The Boys From
Brazil (1978). He also had an extensive television career,
appearing in episodes of such well-remembered series as Star Trek: The
Next Generation, Knight Rider, Cagney and Lacey and Miami Vice. Gotell died in 1997.

He does seem rather amused at our puns.

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